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Alternate Picking
Alternate Picking is a picking technique whereby you alternate between up and down strokes to pick, instead of using consecutive downstrokes. Therefore increasing speed and efficiency. When alternate picking keep these in mind: *Maintain as little movement in your picking hand as possible. *Use short up and down strokes. *Keep the picking hand relaxed. *Try to keep the pick flat when picking, this will make is easier to move across the strings in either direction. d - Downstroke u - Upstroke Single String Exercises Simple exercise ascending up the fretboard. Make sure each note is clear. e|-0-0-0-0--2-2-2-2--4-4-4-4--5-5-5-5--4-4-4-4--2-2-2-2--0-0-0-0-| B|---------------------------------------------------------------| G|---------------------------------------------------------------| D|---------------------------------------------------------------| A|---------------------------------------------------------------| E|---------------------------------------------------------------| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u Another simple exercise, this time decending down the fretboard. Make sure each note is clear. e|-9-9-9-9--7-7-7-7--5-5-5-5--7-7-7-7--3-3-3-3--5-5-5-5--2-2-2-2--3-3-3-3-| B|------------------------------------------------------------------------| G|------------------------------------------------------------------------| D|------------------------------------------------------------------------| A|------------------------------------------------------------------------| E|------------------------------------------------------------------------| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u This practices fretting and picking hand coordernation. Make sure each note rings out clearly. e|-3-0-5-0-7-0-5-0--3-0-5-0-7-0-5-0--5-0-7-0-9-0-7-0--5-0-7-0-9-0-7-0-| B|--------------------------------------------------------------------| G|--------------------------------------------------------------------| D|--------------------------------------------------------------------| A|--------------------------------------------------------------------| E|--------------------------------------------------------------------| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u Six String Exercises This exercise practices fretting and picking hand coordernation. Use all four fingers to fret the notes and make sure all the notes ring out clearly. e|---------------------------------------------------------9-10-11-12-| B|----------------------------------------------9-10-11-12------------| G|-----------------------------------9-10-11-12-----------------------| D|-----------------------9-10-11-12-----------------------------------| A|------------9-10-11-12----------------------------------------------| E|-9-10-11-12---------------------------------------------------------| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u This is a A Major Pentatonic scale. Use all four fingers to fret teh notes. Make sure all the notes are clear. e|-------------------2-5-2-----------------------| B|---------------2-5-------5-2-------------------| G|-----------2-4---------------4-2---------------| D|-------2-4-----------------------4-2-----------| A|---2-4-------------------------------4-2-------| E|-5---------------------------------------5-2-5-| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d This is an A Minor Pentatonic scale. Like before, use all four fingers to fret the notes. Make sure each note is clear. e|---------------------5-8-5---------------------| B|-----------------5-8-------8-5-----------------| G|-------------5-7---------------7-5-------------| D|---------5-7-----------------------7-5---------| A|-----5-7-------------------------------7-5-----| E|-5-8---------------------------------------8-5-| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d String Skipping Exercises Make sure you make each note sound clear. This is the intro to Deep Purple's Dark Night. e|----------------------------------------------| B|----------------------------------------------| G|----------------------------------------------| D|---5-------------5----7--5---------------5----| A|-7---7--5---5--7---7-------7-----5--7-------7-| E|----------7-----------------------------------| d u d u d u d u d u d u d u d u A little bit more of a complex riff. From the Led Zeppelin song, Black Dog. It uses a hammer-on and pull-off and a power chord at the end. Make sure each note rings clearly. A5 e|-----------------------------------------------------------| B|--------------------5--------------------------------------| G|------------5-----7----5h7p5------5----------------------2-| D|---5-6-7------7---------------7-7---7--5-7-7-----5-------2-| A|-7-------7-----------------------------------5-7---------0-| E|-----------------------------------------------------8-----| d u d u d u d d u d d u d u d u d u d u d d